Learning to Keep Your Brain Young

Many people assume that cognitive decline — deterioration of the ability to remember, plan, organize, multitask, make decisions, pay attention and more — is a, inevitable part of the aging process. Even though there are individuals who continue to be “sharp as a tack” well into their nineties and beyond, they are often thought of as anomalies, or outliers. But what if they represent how we all can expect to age?

It’s true that as our brains get older, they shrink in some areas, including those vital to learning and other complex activities. Our brains lose up to 10 percent of their weight when we’re between the ages of 20 and 90; research shows that diabetes and unhealthy habits such as smoking accelerate brain shrinkage.

And as we age there may be less communication between neurons, or nerve cells, in some parts of the brain, less blood flow to the brain (which means the brain is deprived of nutrients and oxygen) and more inflammation. All of these can be detrimental to our mental functioning.

But that doesn’t mean we should just throw our hands up in the air, resigning ourselves to forgetfulness and confusion in our later years. According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), there’s growing evidence that our brains remain “plastic,” meaning they can adapt to new challenges. The NIA also states that changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are not a normal part of aging.

Based on recent studies, scientists now believe that cognitive impairment is not an inevitable part of getting older.

You can expand your mind at any age

Making your brain work by engaging in new and complex learning activities generates new dendritic connections between neurons in the brain, and can even help the brain to build new neurons. (Dendrites are branch-like structures that extend outward from neurons; they carry impulses, or signals, received from other nearby cells back to the body of the neuron.)

In generating new neurons and connections, the brain develops neurological plasticity and builds up a “cognitive reserve” that can help attenuate the effects of future cell loss. This cognitive reserve might explain why some older adults maintain a high level of mental functioning but others don’t. Studies have shown that adults with higher levels of education appear to have more cognitive reserve. One possible explanation is that advanced education leads to the habit of being mentally active.

The upshot is that you can add to your cognitive reserve no matter how old you are. Research indicates that keeping your mind stimulated is crucial to increasing your cognitive reserve, although it’s only one of several components. Other steps that can boost, or maintain, your cognitive reserve include:

• Getting sufficient physical exercise (particularly aerobic exercise, such as swimming)
• Avoiding a diet that’s high in sugar (it increases the risk for dementia)
• Taking care of your heart (with its vast network of blood vessels, your brain receives about 20 percent of your body’s blood supply and uses at least 25 percent of the oxygen you breathe in, so it depends on a healthy cardiovascular system to deliver sufficient oxygen and glucose)
• Sticking to a healthy weight
• Staying active socially
• Quitting smoking
• Keeping your intake of alcohol moderate, or not drinking at all
• Making an effort to maintain your balance (to avoid falling, which could result in a head injury)
• Minimizing stress (stress hormones such as cortisol have more effect on older brains)
• Getting good sleep, and enough of it (note that some sleep medications can exacerbate cognitive problems)

 

Experts suggest that the most efficient use of your cognitive reserve is to “spend” it on mentally challenging tasks — productive activities that will stimulate and engage your brain. So, rather than expending mental energy on memorizing your to-do list, write it down. Use calendars and planners, maps, address books, shopping lists and other aids for storing and organizing routine information. Keep your keys and your glasses in designated places so you don’t have to remember where you put them. Use that mental energy for something more important!

Exercise your body and your brain

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve probably heard it at least a hundred times: Exercise is good for you. Everyone knows that, right? But did you know that physical activity can benefit your brain, too?

Getting enough of the right kind of exercise can:

Help manage diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and high cholesterol — which are all hard on your brain, as well as the rest of your body

Increase the size of your hippocampus, the part of your brain that’s responsible for memory. The hippocampus is one of those areas of the brain that shrink naturally with age — but exercise can help minimize the loss

Stimulate the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that can trigger the formation of new neurons

Increase capillary development in the brain, which increases the blood supply, bringing more nutrients and oxygen to the brain

Research conducted by Arthur Kramer, Ph.D., at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign found that people who were physically fit had sharper brains. Perhaps of greater interest, the research also found that people who were out of shape but then improved their physical fitness also enhanced their brains. These findings suggest that even if you’ve become a devoted couch potato, it’s not too late to get your body and your brain into gear!

Other research conducted at Scripps College in California found that regular exercise had a stronger impact on cognition than sensible eating did. And, researchers at St. Marianna University School of Medicine in Kawasaki, Japan, found that older adults who walked daily and walked the farthest scored best on memory tests, whereas those who barely walked showed signs of dementia.

Use it or lose it

Just like your muscles, your brain will atrophy if you neglect it. For an activity to stimulate the brain enough to exercise it, the activity needs to be both novel and complex.

Brain training and learning apps

You may have heard of online programs like Sun Health Wellness Online Classes and apps such as Lumosity, Elevate and CogniFit that are designed to improve brain plasticity, memory, problem-solving, communication and analytical skills, productivity, attention and/or other mental processes through brain training and brain games. There are dozens of them, and so far there’s little scientific evidence to show how well they work — especially in terms of gains that can be transferred to everyday endeavors. A possible exception is Posit Science’s BrainHQ, which has been evaluated in multiple high-quality studies. Designed by an international team of neuroscientists led by Michael Merezenich, Ph.D., BrainHQ speeds up how the brain processes information.

An alternative is to choose an app that uses real-life skills to stimulate your mind, such as the DailyArt, TED Talks, Khan Academy, Duolingo or Chess.com apps.

Puzzles and games

Rather than spending even more time staring at a screen, you could activate your brain by working crossword puzzles, word games, Sudoku or jigsaw puzzles. Or you could play a strategy game such as chess or Scrabble. But if these are already familiar to you, they won’t benefit you as much as trying something different. When your brain gets used to certain activity, it’s no longer challenged. You need to get out of your mental rut.

A change in routine

Try shaking up your habits to make your brain more efficient. Listen to a different type of music. Take a different route when you do errands. Try a different kind of cuisine — or better yet, try cooking a different cuisine. Try reading books in a different genre, or give audiobooks a go. Join a book club to help you explore (which will also give you additional opportunities to socialize). Take up dancing, or a new kind of dancing. Try brushing your teeth or your hair with your non-dominant hand. Travel to a new city and roam. You get the idea: You have to get out of your comfort zone.

As you’re thinking about new activities you’d like to investigate, consider those that require both mental and physical effort, and possibly manual dexterity, as well. Learning to draw, paint, build model airplanes, knit, geocache, play a musical instrument, brew beer, garden, play Wii games or Ping-Pong, build furniture or do yoga, tai chi or one of the martial arts — any of these can stimulate your brain as long as it’s new to you. As a bonus, learning to do something brand new can also serve as a natural antidepressant.

New sensations

Lawrence Katz, Ph.D., a neurobiologist, pioneer in neuron regeneration research and co-author of “Keep Your Brain Alive,” coined the term “neurobics” to describe exercises that enhance brain performance by using the five senses in novel ways. (Most brain exercises rely predominantly on sight.) Neurobics are (sometimes goofy) activities you can do throughout the day that are designed to help your brain manufacture nutrients that strengthen, preserve and grow brain cells. Research supports the concept that the brain learns more effectively when multiple senses are stimulated during the learning process.

No sensation

You could also try using none of your senses and begin to practice meditation. Despite what you might think, it’s actually quite mentally challenging to train your mind to be quiet. Plenty has been written about the benefits of meditating on a regular basis, and it appears that meditation may even reverse brain atrophy.

Engaging with others

Volunteer work and social activities can keep your brain stimulated too. Interacting with other people gives you the chance to learn from them and see things from their point of view. Simply carrying on a conversation with someone else makes your brain work to find the best way of conveying your thoughts. If you’re thinking about volunteering, why not check into tutoring a student? That could give your brain a double dose of stimulation!

Lifelong learning

If you enjoyed being in school when you were younger, think about how much fun it could be to start studying again — and this time you don’t have to worry about your grades (unless you decide to pursue an advanced degree, which many people do while in their sixties, seventies or older). Your brain will get the most benefit from complex areas of study, such as a new language, computer skills or math.

You’ll find a multitude of options online or at your local community college or senior center. If you live in the Phoenix area, check out Rio Salado College’s Lifelong Learning Center in Surprise, or Arizona State University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, which has several locations throughout the Valley.

Many retirement communities also offer lifelong learning classes, either at a dedicated location within the community or through an arrangement with a nearby college or university. For instance, residents of Sun Health’s La Loma Village community in Litchfield Park have the opportunity to take classes right where they live, through La Loma University.

Keep your brain young at Sun Health Communities

Sun Health believes that constant learning is indispensable to healthy aging and has made it an essential piece of our partnership with Masterpiece Living®, a program that challenges stereotypes associated with aging by offering a lifestyle that integrates physical, social, spiritual and intellectual activity.

Our three Life Plan Communities, and the Sun Health At Home program, offer many opportunities for all kinds of learning and new experiences. Contact our friendly residency counselors to learn more about how you can keep your brain healthy and engaged at our communities.